


History of Years

by Feclin



Series: Musical [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Demigods, F/M, History, M/M, Magic, Musical, Pirates, Religion, Sequal, Transphobia, Violence, War, coup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:55:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feclin/pseuds/Feclin
Summary: The world was changed after the death of the Reborn Gods and the loss of the church. Thousands of years have passed since the Kingdom of Occar crumbled, and a new Kingdom has risen in its place. A young girl named Arris lives in the capital city with her father, but soon his past and the past of the Kingdom will throw their lives into chaos. Will Arris be able to protect her family and new friends, or will they be buried under the weight of history.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Series: Musical [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838395





	1. Oceans and Creation

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the sequel. I'll probably stay with Saturday updates, just because it's easy for me to remember. This first part is a little short, I'll post the first chapter right after I post this so you'll have something to tell a bit more about the story. Thank you for coming to the world of Auvan and learning their history.

Thousands of years ago the land of Occar was the largest Kingdom, stretching from the oceans of Layma to the mountain ranges of Yamira. A large wall blocked the ocean, keeping those in its shadow trapped.

Uplanders never worried about the wall, they wanted for nothing, and lived in happiness and harmony. Downlanders watched the wall with fear and longing, wishing for the day their slavery would come to an end and the wall be torn down.

The start of change happened when King Asch revealed the truth of the church, telling the people all of their lies and starting a civil war. Tavar, the God who was reborn, did not come back to his people. 

And so the Kingdom of Occar fell into chaos. It crumbled without the support of the church and the familiarity of their God. The people turned on each other. And as the years passed, Tavar did not return.

War eventually ended. The wall was torn down and the Downlanders went back to the ocean. The people tried to find some way to move on and rebuild from the shattered ashes they had created.

A man was named King and loved by his people, he created the Kingdom of Elos. He married the woman he loved, a Downlander. He made her his Queen, his equal. Another civil war was nearly started, but he quickly quieted down the protests. His heir was the first official half born and they grew to become King.

More and more people had these children, and many generations passed. The Downlanders, in their Kingdom of Aquam, grew and spread throughout the ocean. Old texts were found, and things started to change once more. 

Downlanders became Yusev, taking back the ancient name of their people. Uplanders became Resimak, trying to focus on unity and growth. The children they made together were given the name Orissim.

Peace grew in the Kingdoms and between the races. Slavery became a distant memory, and marriage was only for love. Thousands of years passed, and the story of the Reborn God became only that, a story.

Tavar and Aquas faded into legend, and that was exactly how they liked it.


	2. Hurricane

A young man stood outside of a cliffside home, his golden blond hair was plastered to his head by the rain, and golden eyes flashed in the light. He glanced up at the stormy sky, before looking back at the home.

The home was on the edge of a large cliff, looking over the ocean. Candles flickered in the windows, and the door rattled with every bash of the howling wind. The ocean raged below, waves crashing into the cliffside.

Another man rushed out of the darkness, his long hair looked like a calm sea, and fell down his back in wet waves. His eyes were the color of the ocean below them. “Did I miss it?” he asked.

“No, not yet.” he ran his hand through his hair. “Hurricane is coming.” he mumbled.

“It’s just off the coast, worst of it should hit in about an hour.” he frowned. “Why can’t we-”

“I already told you.” he snapped, before sighing. “I’m sorry I’m just...I’m nervous. Blessed aren’t born very often anymore and this is…”

“Special, I know.” he stood next to the other man, taking his hand. 

Inside of the home was a man with dark hair, pacing around a single room. He kept glancing towards the windows, and wringing the rag in his hands. 

A woman was lying on a straw bed, short copper hair stuck up in odd angles, and matching eyes were filled with tears. She grabbed the towel next to her suddenly, biting down hard on it as she screamed. Her pale skin contrasted with her bright red scales.

The man was by her side in an instant. “Breath. You can do it, just breathe.” he glanced at her large stomach, hidden under a blanket.

She spit out the towel. “ _Fuck_ _you_!” she screamed. “You _fucking_ breath!” she took harsh breaths and moaned in pain.

“I know it hurts, I know. But you just have to hold on a little longer. The doctor promised he’d come.” he nervously glanced at the door.

She hissed. “He’s not coming. The storm is getting worse. You have to get this baby  _ out _ of me.”

He hesitated, flinching when she screamed, before he nodded quickly. He ran around the room grabbing towels and blankets, before getting hot water.

Outside the golden haired man looked up at the sky. “They’re not going to make it. The hurricane is getting worse.”

“She only needs another moment. Can’t you tell? The baby is so-” lightning cut him off, striking near the house.

Everything was silent, even the rain, as a sharp cry pierced the night. A baby girl was born, with bright golden hair and sparkling golden eyes. She had golden scales in spots on her body, and on her cheekbones.

She came into the world screaming, much to the happiness of her parents. Her father cleaned her off, and sat on the bed with her mother, cooing and saying gentle words to her. They soothed her cries with touch and soft words of love.

The storm outside was forgotten. Until the windows shattered and the door was torn from its hinges.

The mother took her child, holding her tight as the storm tried to come into their home. “We need to hide her from the storm!” she shouted.

He tore through their things, before finding an old chest. Shoving it full of blankets, he set his daughter inside. 

“Tavar please let us do  _ something _ .” the man outside whispered in horror as the storm tore the house apart.

Tavar shook his head. “She’ll survive as long as she doesn’t go over the cliff. And don’t try to change the wind Aquas.”

Aquas waved towards the house, it was being torn from the ground. “I can’t just sit and  _ watch _ this Tavar. The mortals in there-”

“Are mortals. And, as you once told me, they will all die one day.” he flinched when the whole cliffside crumbled, taking the house with it.

Aquas stared in horror before he nodded. “Well, I am God of the Ocean.”

“Aquas-” Tavar shouted, but the God was already jumping over the side of the cliff.

He landed in the water with a barely noticed splash. The house was in splinters around him, and he knew the parents were already lost to the sea. But there was a faint feeling of life coming from  _ somewhere _ .

He spun around, trying to focus on the feeling of the ocean all his creations gave off. There, the chest was sinking down to the ocean floor, a trail of bubbles coming off of it. He swam down towards it.

Grabbing the chest he dragged it back to the surface, forcing it to float. Tavar appeared standing above the water as he was drawing the water out of the chest. “You could have simply caught the chest in midair, no need to be dramatic.”

Aquas grinned. “Me? Dramatic? Which one of us burnt down a city block in his excitement of hearing a prayer?”

He turned slightly red. “She wanted a child and it was the fastest way to get her husband home.”

Aquas snorted, drifting away from the cliff with the chest floating next to him. “I still don’t understand why we couldn’t have saved them.”

“Life can’t come without a cost. I...I’d forgotten that. I tried to keep it away from them for as long as possible, but death always collects.” he sighed. “I never should have given them this child.”

“You were trying to help them.” Aquas smiled. “And I’m sure that their souls can rest knowing their daughter is going to live on.” he gave the chest a gentle push and the waves carried it away.

Tavar frowned. “Where did you send her?”

Aquas shook his head. “The ocean will find her a nice home.”

Hours later, miles away, a young man will have the strangest urge to look up from his book. As he does, the boat he is on will jolt just enough for him to fall over the edge. Unfortunately for the man, he cannot swim. 

Luck seems to be on his side however, as he landed by a nearby floating chest, that he carries back onboard when they drag him up. The sailors mumble about curses when the chest is opened to reveal a sleeping baby girl. 

But the young man merely picks her up, wraps her in a blanket, and goes back to reading his book. This time outloud to his new daughter.


	3. Blessed (Age 10)

In the middle of the capital city, nestled between large buildings, was a small two story building. There were large windows taking up most of the front of the ground floor, with two smaller windows on the second floor. A sign was hung above the door, reading ‘Well Written and Read.’

Inside the first floor, were shelves upon shelves of books. There didn’t seem to be any kind of organization, and there were books stacked on the ground and on small stools. There was paper shoved in random places, with empty inkwells and strips of leather scattered throughout.

A man was sitting behind an overflowing desk, sipping at a cup of tea as he read a book. The door hit a bell as it opened, sending out a sharp chime. He didn’t even look up, brown hair wild on his head.

A woman stood in front of the desk, strawberry blond hair pinned to her head in soft ringlets. She wore a long dark blue coat, and was holding a book to her chest. “Mr. Hayns?” she cleared her throat.

He hummed and sipped his tea. “We’re closed.”

She frowned. “Oh I’m not here to buy anything. Or, I  _ am _ , however I hope I am not. You see I spilled tea on my favorite-”

He quickly looked up at her. “Teia Bay Mccorm. You spilled  _ tea _ on one of my books?” he set his tea down on the only empty space on the desk. Grabbing the book from her and quickly flipping through it. 

Several of the pages were stained darker, and the ink was starting to drip down the page. He gave a shake of his head and turned to the title. “Can you save it?” she asked him.

“No, I didn’t use Yusev ink on this one. Costs too much.” he sighed and set the book down, coming around the desk. He started to wander through the shelves.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. My sister brought her boys over, she’s on her third now you know, and they’re always quite a handful. Mother asked me to come and help, since I have nothing better to do. No children, no husband, not even a real job, not really.” she trailed after him. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately, Dr. Havest thinks it's nightmares but I don’t remember anything, so I made myself some tea to wake myself up. I only set it down for a moment-”

He turned suddenly, climbing up one of the shelves. “You collect herbs for the doctor, how is that not a real job?”

She blinked, frowning. “Oh well, it's not like I’m actually helping people or anything. I basically just know a lot about plants.”

“And without you the doctor wouldn’t have any idea what he was using.” he pulled a book from the top of the shelf, off a tall pile, and jumped down. “Here, I’ll keep your old copy and fix it up to resell.”

“Oh here let me-” she started to dig through a small coin purse.

“I’ll make more money reselling the book than you can give me for that one. Keep your money.” he walked back to his desk and sat down. 

“Mr. Hayns-”

“We’re closed today Teia.” he opened his book and took a sip of his tea. “Don’t let your nephews ruin that copy.”

The bell chimed as she left, and suddenly a young girl came from behind the shelves. “That’s the third one this month.” her golden blond hair was braided, with a ribbon weaved in, and sparkling golden eyes seemed to dance in the light. She had soft golden scales on her cheeks and arms.

He hummed. “Her father comes in and donates enough to cover the ones she ruins.” he glanced at her. “It’s very early my little fish.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I started thinking about Blessed, and now I’m wondering where they came from.” she walked over to the desk.

“What put your mind on that topic?” he set his cup down and looked at her.

“Well...that song, from yesterday. I did that.” she frowned. “Why can I do that? Where does it come from?”

He hummed and stood, she watched him as he walked through the shelves. “No one really knows for sure, but some old legends talk about Gods.”

“You sound like one of those church nuts dad.” she crossed her arms.

He chuckled, pulling down a book. “The stories say that a  _ very _ long time ago two Gods walked among their people. Something happened, we’re not sure what, but one of the Gods became mortal.”

“I know the story of the Reborn God dad.” she rolled her eyes.

He grabbed another book. “Then you know that every hundred years he was born within the church. Scholars assume the church would just pick a Blessed who was born at the right time, and raise them to think they were a God in mortal form.”

“But wouldn’t they find out they weren’t? I read in a book that he was supposed to become a God again, but never did.” she couldn’t remember why.

He glanced at her as he grabbed a third book. “King Asch revealed that reason to us.”

“That’s the King that started the civil war. He started the end of slavery.” she knew he hadn’t lived to see it, the books talked about how the war lasted generations.

“King Asch started the war by revealing to the people that the church killed the Reborn God before he could take his Godly form once more. He also said that the Yusev God wasn’t evil like everyone assumed.” he walked back to the desk and moved a few things around, allowing him to set the books on an empty spot.

She quickly scrambled over to his side. “Which God gave us the Blessed?”

He opened one of the books, the text was neat, and new, with beautifully detailed pictures along the side. “King Asch told everyone he was blessed with a vision of how the Gods came to be mortal. He wrote it all down.” he sighed. “We haven’t been able to translate most of it.”

She looked at the book on the desk. “This says Aquas created the Ocean and Tavar the rest. But not why their powers are so...unbalanced.”

“Most of this is just things we managed to translate and I pieced together. The words are different, but the pictures are the same.” he lightly touched one. “We assume Tavar is the Reborn God, because Aquas created the Yusev.”

“And Tavar created the Resimak?” she asked.

“No one knows for sure, but we think so. I think…” he flipped through a few pages. “Here.” he tapped a page.

She looked at the page. “They burned the child for the magic he created, and the God Tavar made them suffer, saying that all those born with his mark were under his protection.” she frowned. “How did he make them suffer?”

“Eh he was a God.” he shrugged and closed the book. “Read these two.” he handed her the other two books. “It has all the information on Blessed I could copy down.”

“Dad?” she looked up at him. “What happened to the Gods? Why don’t we talk about them anymore?”

He hummed. “Well, since the church was using Blessed as the Reborn God, once the civil war started and the church fell apart there wasn’t anyone to carry that on. It’s the best explanation for why he suddenly disappeared. Like I said, we can’t read most of it. Some were lost to history, most was destroyed, ruined by time. And we can only guess what the words mean and hope they fit together.”

She bit her lip, thinking. “I’m going to find out one day, and I’m going to fully translate the story.”

He chuckled. “Arris Hayns, scholar. It has a nice ring to it.” he smiled. “Maybe you can get out and see the world. I always loved travel when I was younger.”

She hugged him. “I’ll always come home dad.”


	4. Fight (Age 15)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the first [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDbB2MzO6uA) of the new musical <3 I hope you enjoy

The alley way was packed with kids, all standing in a circle around two other kids. The two kids were facing each other, one of them had a split lip, and she hissed, black hair cut short. “You fight like you sing.”

Arris grinned. “Oh so with actual skill?” the kids around them laughed. 

“You can’t sing if I rip out your tongue.” the girl threw herself at her, grabbing at her hair.

Arris and her both went down, kicking and scratching at each other. Something caught the attention of the other kids, and they quickly started to scatter. 

The girl screamed when someone grabbed her. The man was large, and he wore a silver uniform with ice blue linings and patches. “Ladies.”

Another man in the same uniform held Arris. “Would you like to tell us what you’re fighting about?”

“She threatened to rip out my tongue!” Arris quickly shouted.

“You told my boyfriend I was cheating on him!” the other girl growled.

“ _ You _ asked me to sing! I can’t control what I sing!” she shook her head. “Maybe if you didn’t cheat on him, this wouldn’t have happened.”

The man holding Arris grumbled. “I hate these Blessed cases.” he raised his voice. “Listen, we’re going to let both of you go with a warning. One at a time. Avoid each other, or we’re telling your parents. Understood?”

They both grumbled but nodded. The girl was let go first and Arris watched her march down the alleyway. She glanced around and grabbed her bag. “How close am I to ‘Well Written and Read?’”

“It’s a few blocks that way.” one of them pointed.

“Thank you officer.” she bowed her head. “Have a good day.” she started walking in that direction.

Arris grumbled to herself as she walked, weaving her way through the crowded streets. People glanced at her, but none of them stopped her. Blessed were rare enough that they got attention, but everyone knew what they were.

She’d grown up with people asking her to sing. Most of them were strangers, and they’d normally get scolded by her father for being rude. But as she’d gotten older and started going out on her own, he wasn’t always there to yell at people for randomly stopping her. 

Sometimes the songs were good. Soft things that made everyone around happy. Others...they led to fights like this one. People didn’t seem to understand that she had no control over what she sang. She’d much rather not sing in public at all. 

Some Blessed would sing in large concerts, or she heard one worked for the King. There wasn’t a list keeping track of all of them, so she wasn’t sure how many there were, but she knew it wasn’t a lot. Her dad estimated one in every million was Blessed, but because of the lack of records, it was impossible to tell.

She shoved open the door to her dad’s shop, listening to the bell chime above her. Her dad was sitting at his desk, reading. “We’re closed.” he hummed.

“With how often we’re closed I’m surprised you get any work.” she smiled when he glanced up at her.

“I assume I won’t be hearing from the police?” he looked back at his book.

She hesitated. “I...how did you know?”

“You have a cut on your eyebrow.” he turned the page of his book. “Oh also, Teia’s new book came in. I need you to deliver it.”

“You know she has a crush on you.” she reached up and touched her eyebrow, hissing in pain as she found the cut.

“She’s had a crush on me for years. If I haven’t made my move before, I don’t know why she thinks I will now. It’s best to avoid her.” he hummed.

“Are you a widower?” she asked suddenly. Arris had never asked about her mother before, it had never bothered her. But her father never dated, and now she was starting to wonder why.

“I never married.” he glanced at her. “That sort of thing never interested me.”

“Then...who’s my mom?” she noticed the way he tensed and chewed on her lip.

He set down his book and looked at her. His bright green eyes focused on her gold. “You are Orissim. I always assumed first generation. Fifteen years ago I was traveling back from the Kingdom of Aquam when I fell overboard. A chest was floating nearby and I brought it back up with me when I was pulled out of the water. You were inside.”

Arris blinked. “You found me?”

“In the ocean. The sailors told me you were probably a curse sent to them, but I don’t believe in such things. Also you saved my life. I can’t swim.” he shrugged. “I asked around, but none of the nearby hospitals were missing a child. The working theory was that your mother gave birth on a ship, and it went down in the storm the night before.”

She slowly sat down on one of the book stacks. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I didn’t think it was important. You are my daughter. I raised you and I love you. If it is important to you I will tell you everything I know. And we can even travel there, maybe try and look again?” he tilted his head.

Arris noticed how tense he looked. “I mean...you’re my dad. I just...it's weird to find out that you’re not blood? I don’t know, I got into a fight today and I’m tired and do you want me to deliver the books?”

“No, I can do it.” he stood and grabbed a stack of books tied together with a ribbon. “If you want, I kept the chest. I keep all your kid stuff in it.” he shrugged. “Just...it shouldn’t have floated Arris.” he nodded and headed out of the shop.

Arris looked around the bookshop before heading to the back and going up the stairs. The second floor was where they lived and her father did most of his work. He wrote and bound books. Either copying them from another source or translating them himself. The whole second floor was covered in papers, ink stains, and different materials to bind the books.

The only room free of most of this was hers. She had a few bookshelves, and a desk for writing, but if she wanted to bind anything she went to her father’s office. 

She dropped her bag on the ground and dropped onto her bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Music started to swell around her. “I was raised by a dad, who told me I should never listen to another voice but my own. Now I've grown up, now I know. That when I'm tryna be myself it isn't so simple, anymore.”

She grabbed the edges of the bed and took a deep breath, her eyes burned a bright gold. “Some days I wake up I just wanna hide under the covers. 'Cause no matter what I do I'll never be like all the others.”

She sat up suddenly, swaying to the beat. “I'm a little O.D.D. Most people really don't get me. I'm the girl in the back of the class. Blank stare, don't care, don't ask. I'm a little O.D.D. And I see the way they look at me. I can hear it when they talk that trash. Saying "Any minute she gon' crack”

She stood, closing her eyes as she swayed. “Oh. My dad, bless his heart. He was the only one who has my back when everyone, else does not. I hope looking back, it's crazy. I won’t turn into the person people tell me I should be.”

“Some days I wake up I just wanna hide under the covers.” she dropped back on her bed. “'Cause no matter what I do I'll never be like all the others. Because. I'm a little O.D.D. Most people really don't get me. I'm the girl in the back of the class. Gold hair but I'm not singing their asks. I'm a little O.D.D. And I see the way they look at me. I can hear it when they talk that trash. Saying "Any minute she gon' crack.”

She sat up. “I'm a little O.D.D. And I see the way they look at me. I can hear it when they talk that trash. Saying "Any minute she gon' crack. I'm a little O.D.D. Most people really don't get me. I'm the girl in the back of the class. Fuck bitches, sing songs, act rash.”

The music started to fade and she was shaking slightly. “I'm a little O.D.D. Most people really don't get me”

The music was gone, and she was left shaking on her bed. She bit down on her knuckle and tears filled her eyes. “Even my music thinks I’m weird.” she grabbed her hair and started to cry.


	5. King (Age 17)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, even though it seems like no one is really reading this I'm still going to keep posting. Because it might be trash, but its my trash.

Arris looked at her dad as he dropped down next to her on the bed. He was staring up at the ceiling and had a book in his hands. When she noticed that he wasn’t saying anything, she looked up at the ceiling with him.

They lay like that for nearly ten minutes before he spoke. “I got a letter from the King today. They found another Temple, I’m being asked to try and translate some of the writing they found on the walls.”

“Where is it?” they’d never gotten a letter from the King before. She knew her father would translate and was a scribe by trade, but he mostly worked with other scholars, or anyone who found some old books and wanted copies.

“Near the ocean. They say it used to be the capital city of Occar. Rumors are it’s where King Asch started the war. Most of it is broken and buried.” he hummed. “Apparently my copy of King Asch’s book made it into the King’s library and it’s his favorite.” he looked at her. “Want to ditch school and go with me? I could use an assistant.”

“Wait, go with you to the castle?” They lived near the castle, she could see it silhouetted against the skyline when she was in class. Once they’d even taken a trip nearby, to get a better look. But the gates were always kept locked, only opening during balls and parties the King threw.

“And to the Temple. I was reading up on it and there are still remains of the wall in that area. We can go look at where the Yusev used to live.” he smiled. “You can write down all my notes and help me try and figure out what the hell it’s saying.”

She sat up quickly. “Of  _ course _ I want to go with you. Can I even go with you?”

“You’re my kid, I don’t see why not.” he pushed himself up and held out the book. “All the information they sent me. I copied it down because whoever wrote the letter has terrible handwriting.”

Arris laughed. “You think everyone has terrible handwriting.” she grabbed the book and started to flip through it. She noticed that he’d started to draw along the edges, but most of it was half formed, or only a sketch. “When do we leave?”

“A few days. I have to talk to your school and get someone to look over the store for me. And all of this.” he waved at her room. “We’ll have to store away all the ink so it doesn’t go bad. Choose what to take and what to leave.”

“We shouldn’t use Resimak ink for the final draft, or at all if we can help it. You said this place is by the ocean, so we should have waterproof ink.” she’d seen some of the books he brought back from the ocean that weren’t properly cared for. They normally had to be completely rewritten.

“I don’t have a huge store of Yusev ink, but I’m sure if we add it to the list of supplies we need the King will supply it for us.” he stretched before standing. “Read that, pack enough for a few weeks.” he left her room.

Arris looked at the book before she jumped up and scrambled to find her luggage.

A carriage came and picked up Arris and her father a few days later. She bounced in the seat, growing more and more excited as they neared the castle. It loomed over them, huge and old, with thick bars blocking the door.

She watched as one by one the bars were pulled back into the wall, and two large guards pushed the thick wood doors open. The horses pulled the carriage into a large courtyard, filled with guards and a stable.

When the carriage stopped a man opened the door. “Ah Mr. Hayns, it is truly an honor to have you. Please, follow me.” he held the door open for them.

Arris followed her dad out of the carriage, looking around with wide eyes. A few people glanced at her, but most people ignored her. Everyone seemed like they had a job to do.

“So, Mr. Hayns-”

“Daeadon, please. The only people that call me Mr. Hayns are those that want to buy a book, not my skills.” he smiled.

The man blinked and looked confused before he nodded. “Mr. Daeadon the King is going to have to meet with you and your daughter in the war room. I’m afraid the General asked for his attention and he has combined both meetings.”

“I don’t mind, most I know about war is what I read.” he chuckled.

Arris nudged him. “Is there a problem?” she asked.

The man shook his head. “Oh no, of course not. It’s a simple matter with the Kingdom of Aquam. Nothing anyone needs to worry about.” he nodded to a guard as he said this, and a large door was pushed open.

“This is the third ship we’ve lost at sea! And if those God believing pagans blame  _ Aquas _ one more time!” a woman was shouting, hitting her hand on a large table as she spoke. She wasn’t very tall, but seemed to command attention with her very presents.

An older man was sitting at the head of the table, he looked bored, and was wearing riding clothing. His black hair was just starting to get streaks of gray, and he ran his hand through it suddenly. He was about to speak when he noticed them. “Dae!” he jumped up. “Look at you, how long has it been?”

Daeadon shrugged. “Over seventeen years. You’re going gray.”

The man next to them flinched but the other man laughed and hit Daeadon on the shoulder. “And you barely look to have aged a day. Must be all the books keeping you alive. How have you been my old friend?”

“Working and trying to avoid this. But I can’t exactly say no to you, can I?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Please Dae, you and I both know you would have thrown a fit if I hadn’t offered this to you.” he noticed Arris, who was staring at him with wide eyes. “You must be little Arris! Oh I remember when he brought you home, you were a weird squirming little thing. Forgot you were a Blessed.”

“Arris this is King Killan, we met many years ago when I was just starting to learn how to scribe. We became fast friends, but life keeps us apart.” Dae smiled at his daughter.

Being this close to the King, Arris noticed his eyes were a beautiful ocean color, and there was the soft imprint of black scales on his neck. She quickly bowed her head. “It is an honor to meet you.”

He snorted. “None of that, please. Dae tells me you’re going with him. Instead of me.”

“You aren’t allowed to leave the castle my King.” the woman finally spoke, she was grinding her teeth together and looked annoyed. “Especially with your wife ill.”

He waved his hand. “She’s fine, the doctors said she’s on the mend. You just don’t want me to sneak off to Aquam to speak with Queen Oian.”

“It is very dangerous my King.” she growled.

Dae frowned. “You know the definition of dangerous? Back when we met you were jumping off that cliff, remember? Or you  _ told _ the guard you were jumping. I watched you trip over your own feet trying to catch a bug.”

“Bringing up that story is treason and I could have you arrested for such slander.” he smiled. “You both must be hungry, let’s go eat and we can talk about your trip.”

“King Killan-” the woman sounded extremely annoyed.

“We can talk later. I’m visiting with friends.” he waved her off and wrapped an arm around Dae, leading him and Arris out of the room. “I really have to thank you, General Presima means well, but she really is rather paranoid. Ships get lost, the ocean is unpredictable.”

Dae hummed. “If you want to send me back to the ocean I’ll need Yusev materials. And two tents, I don’t mind sharing with the other researchers, but my daughter should have her own.”

“We’re not even at lunch yet and you’re already making demands.” he chuckled. “I always did like that about you. You never cared that I was King.”

“Maybe I’d treat you like one if you  _ acted _ like one.” he smiled slightly. “Oh, also my daughter needs to be excused from school. They told me I couldn’t take her, but she’s mine.” he shrugged.

“You told me school was fine with this.” Arris interrupted.

They entered a small dining room, and the King dropped down into a chair. “School is overrated. Your father can teach you anything those hacks can.”

Dae sat down. “You’re just saying that because you were constantly flunking out. If you weren’t the only child they never would have let you become King.”

“You’re so mean.” King Killan laughed. He waved to a young woman standing a few feet away, Arris hadn’t noticed her. “Please have tea and lunch brought to us, we have a lot to catch up on.” the woman bowed her head and disappeared out the door.

Dae glanced at her. “How are you holding up?”

“You never told me you knew the King.” she hissed.

He smiled. “I haven’t really spoken to him since I got you. I used to make books for him, travel around. But I couldn’t do that anymore with a baby, you were more important. So we just stopped talking, sometimes that happens in life.”

The King laughed. “You say that like I didn’t have my own squirming little thing to deal with. My wife  _ hated _ our adventures. Sometimes I think she refused to send the letters I wrote to you. But you always did write back.”

He smiled. “Well, you always knew where to find the most interesting books.”

He laughed harder. “Still using me for my library. Well, don’t worry you can have full access.” he looked at Arris. “I’ll have to show you the library after lunch. If you’re anything like your father, I doubt I could make either of you leave.”

Arris gave him a nervous smile. “I can’t wait.”


	6. Library

Arris spent most of lunch listening to her dad and the King talk about old times. Most of it was inside jokes that cut off mid sentence with laughter. She watched her dad relax in a way that normally only happened around her. 

She decided that it was a good thing. Her dad was lonely, and needed more friends. Even if it was the King.

She finished eating quickly, but quietly sat at the table and just listened to them talk. The King kept talking about adventures, and the way he handled their struggles. Then her father would remind him of how many times he failed, and they’d both laugh harder.

King Killan was in the middle of one of the tales when he stopped. “You finished eating. When did you finish eating?”

She turned slightly red, and Dae chuckled. “She finished at least an hour ago. We were talking about our failed attempt at sailing.”

King Killan frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything? We could have gone to the library already.”

Dae smiled. “I enjoy speaking with you, and we both know once I’m in the library I’ll forget you exist.”

Arris noticed the King’s cheeks turn slightly red. “I’m sure I could get your attention somehow.”

And that was as much as she could tolerate. “I’m going to find my own way to the library now.” she pushed her chair out.

Dae jumped. “No, no we’re sorry Arris. Lan and I can show you to the library.” he stood. “It  _ is _ still in the same place?”

“Of course! Like I’d move the library.” King Killan stood and led them from the room.

Dae glanced at Arris as they walked. “The library was always my favorite place. Aside from my store. Lan would let me borrow and copy any book I wanted. We met when I was fifteen?” he frowned. “Yes, fifteen.”

“But then you didn’t talk to him or about him for the last seventeen years.” Arris pointed out.

She watched her dad lower his eyes. “Sometimes...sometimes you…” he shook his head. “He had his child, and I had you. We couldn’t go off and adventure and...we still wrote to each other.”

Arris had a feeling there was more to it, but she also could tell this topic was upsetting her dad. “Well, I’m seventeen now, and I love libraries.”

He smiled. “You’ll love this library. It’s huge, and there are these windows that overlook the whole courtyard. I used to sit and do my work there, watching the outside world.”

King Killan stopped outside a large door. The word for library was written in Uplander above the door. Arris gasped. “You have Uplander writing?”

He smiled. “I carved it myself when I was a kid. Your father taught me the word. Made me write it a thousand times before I was allowed to carve it. I’ve always loved the way the Uplanders wrote, they had such soft curves to their letters.”

“Those soft curves make it nearly impossible to translate everything.” Dae rolled his eyes. “What you see as beautiful, I see as a pain. Each of those curves  _ means _ something. It can change the whole word.”

“I know, it’s amazing.” he shook his head. “Arris, would you like to do the honors?” he waved towards the door. 

Arris stepped towards the door and hesitantly pushed it open. Stepping inside she froze, eyes going wide with wonder.

The library was two stories, and she couldn’t see the back wall. The shelves on the first floor were long and tall, a few of them even reaching to the ceiling. Ladders were on most of them, attached to rails so they could move along the shelves.

There were spiral stairs to her left, leading up to a series of platforms, that had strange shaped bookshelves on them. Rope bridges attached each of these platforms, and there were lanterns hanging from the bottom of the platforms. 

Dae grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. “This way.” he sounded excited as he pulled her through the shelves. 

“Dad. Dad I can’t. Is that Queen Teio’s-” she cursed. “Dad I can’t read with you dragging me through-”

Her dad stopped in what she assumed was the middle of the large room, but she couldn’t tell from the way the bookshelves were positioned around her. They were facing a large section of wall without shelves, covered in curtains. There was enough room for a few small tables in front of the curtained section.

Dae smiled. “You’re going to love this.” he walked over to the curtains and grabbed a string on one end.

King Killan was suddenly next to her. He was watching her dad with a soft smile. “I think he’s spent more hours in here than our librarian.”

The curtain was pulled back before she could respond, and she felt like she couldn’t breath. The whole section of the wall was a large window, showing nearly the whole city stretched before them. There was a bench set along the edge of the window, and she quickly walked over, crawling onto it.

She could see the whole courtyard, and the sky seemed endless. She hadn’t realized they were this high up. “It’s beautiful.”

Dae sat next to her. “You can open sections of the window, sometimes I’d lean out on windy days and pretend I was flying.”

“Dad this is amazing.” she looked back to the library. “Can I?”

“Go nuts, I need to go over a few more things with Killan anyway. We’ll be here.” he smiled and went over to one of the tables. 

Killan dropped in the chair across from him. “We both know I’m going to fully fund the project Dae.”

“Yes, but your people always get so upset when I don’t write down everything I need.” Dae pulled out one of his notebooks, making Killan laugh as he got ready to write.

Arris left them alone, wandering through the shelves. She gently touched the spine of every book she passed. A part of her was weirded out at how her dad was acting, but the rest of her was excited to be in the castle library. 

There were so many books, written by so many different people, and about so many different things. She could spend the rest of her life here, reading and studying everything they had to teach her.

She hesitated when she heard something further in the door. The King had mentioned a librarian, maybe she could find one of her dad's books. She decided to follow the noise.


	7. Reignn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is falling apart around us and everything around my town is on fire. But at least we have stories to help us get through everything. Today we even have a [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKAB3PZOFU0)

As Arris walked deeper into the library, she lost the natural light from the window. The lanterns above her, as well as the few scattered around on the shelves, gave the feeling that she was going in circles. 

She had an awful feeling that she  _ was _ lost, and that she’d never be able to find her way out. She couldn’t see any of the walls, and the light from the window was completely gone. None of the shelves told her what section she was near. 

Panic started to grip her, when she felt something soft in the air, it felt like the air was caressing her, and tugging her in a certain direction. She followed the pull, weaving her way through the shelves. 

That was when she heard the music. The voice was soft, and shaking slightly. “I float in a boat, in a raging black ocean. Low in the water with nowhere to go. The tiniest lifeboat, with people I know.”

She turned a corner, noticing a young man leaning against a small table, there was a lantern giving him just enough to see. His gold hair was long, braided and pinned up, and the light caught on soft gold scales.

“Cold, clammy and crowded. The people smell desperate. We’ll sink any minute, so someone must go. The tiniest lifeboat, with people I know.” he was hugging himself, his eyes closed. 

His voice broke as it rose, and the music became jagged and pained. “Everyone’s pushing! Everyone's fighting! Storms are approaching, there’s nowhere to hide!” he grabbed his hair before throwing out his hands, eyes wide and burning gold. “If I say the wrong thing, or I wear the wrong outfit, they’ll throw me right over the side!”

The music calmed again, he was shaking. “I’m hugging my knees, and the council is pointing. Well who made them council? Still...the weakest must go.” he lowered his head. “The tiniest lifeboat, full of people I know.” he hugged himself. “The tiniest lifeboat...full of people I know.”

“You’re Blessed.” Arris’s voice broke the unsettling quiet that had started to take over.

He jumped, looking at her quickly. “Oh...oh ah, yeah.” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you looking for a book?”

“I’m looking for  _ every _ book. Are you the librarian?” she smiled and walked over to him, she noticed he was curled in on himself.

“No, I just really like the library. It’s quiet. People don’t ask me to sing when I’m here.” he glanced at her.

“I get it, I  _ hate _ it when people ask me to sing.” she rolled her eyes and leaned against the end of the table, she kept him on the other side. “I’m Arris.”

“I’m…” he hesitated. 

“Do you know how to use a sword? I’m learning, but most people tell me that I’m a girl so I shouldn’t focus on that.” she rolled her eyes. “It must be nice to never have to deal with that.”

He seemed confused, before he relaxed slightly and smiled. “My dad taught me how to use the sword, so I don’t have to deal with other people. My mom doesn’t think I need to know how, but it’s so much fun. I want to go on adventures, but I’m still too young.”

“My dad and I are going to the ocean. Or, the coast. Someone found an old Temple there and we’re going to check it out. I’m really hoping for a lot of Uplander things. So much was lost during the wars.” she shook her head. “And I  _ hate _ that we can’t read what they’ve written down.”

“It’s so weird to think about how language changes over time. Especially enough to where we can’t read it. Language is supposed to be how we communicate.” he waved his hands. “And then you have different dialects compared to other places.” his eyes widened. “Like we discovered a new Kingdom, they’re from beyond the mountains, and speak an entirely different language. My dad and a bunch of people are trying to figure out how to properly talk to them.”

“I didn’t know that. It’s amazing.” she grinned, bouncing slightly on her toes. “I  _ wish _ I could help with something like that. But I love being a scholar.” 

“Oh I don’t get to help much. They ah...they say I’m…” he hesitated again. “Too young?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Too young? You have to be my age sir.” she smiled. “Want to try that excuse again?”

He hesitated again, and was stepping away from her. “Ah...well they don’t like that I’m...I mean I don’t-”

“Reignn.” King Killan came from behind a bookshelf. “I didn’t know you were in the library today.”

“Oh ah...dad. I didn’t realize you were here.” Reignn bit his lip. 

Arris’s eyes went wide. “You’re the Prince?”

Reignn flinched and the King nudged her. “Don’t let people hear that.” as he whispered that to her a guard came around the corner.

“Princess! Your mother has been worried sick about you. What are you wearing? You’re supposed to be getting ready for dinner.” he rushed over to Reignn.

“Oh ah, I was just. I mean I-” they’re face turned bright red, making their scales stand out brightly.

“I was introducing her to my best friend's daughter. As they are both Blessed I thought they might get along.” King Killan smiled.

“Of course my King. Would you like me to inform your wife that the princess is busy?” the guard bowed their head.

King Killan hummed, looking at the two of them. “Arris was supposed to leave...and I need to get ready for dinner with my wife as well…”

Dae stepped out from behind him, he put a hand on his arm. “Go to dinner with your wife.” he smiled. “You spend too much time working.” he looked at Reignn. “I’m sorry we didn’t meet properly. Though Arris is free most days, if you wanted her to come back. Or, my bookshop is safe.”

The guard went to argue, but the King smiled. “It would be nice for them to get out more. Reignn if you want to visit Arris it will have to be at her home, and bring her books. Oh and you probably shouldn’t wear any of your dresses, they’ll attract notice.”

Reignn was grinning. “I understand dad. Thank you.” they bowed and quickly ran off, the guard chasing after them.

Arris frowned. “I don’t-”

King Killan held up his hand, and she went silent. He tilted his head to the side, listening, before he nodded. “My child is still figuring out who they are. Some people aren’t okay with that, and I do my best to protect them.”

“I...I don’t understand, but I’m happy to help out while we’re still in the city, and when we get back.” she grinned.

“You’re just like your father.” he smiled. “You guys should go, I’ll send someone to collect you in three days. Be ready, it’ll be a long trip.”

Dae frowned. “Lan-”

“Reignn might come by to see you before that, keep an eye out for them.” he looked at Dae, hesitating, before he sighed. “Enjoy the ocean.” he walked off.

Arris bit her lip, her dad was staring at the spot the King had walked away from. “Dad...are you alright?”

He blinked. “Oh, ah, yes.” he forced a smile. “Or I will be. Don’t worry, I expected this to happen.” he grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”


	8. Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is a dumpster fire and I have climbed inside. Enjoy a weekly distraction <3

Arris didn’t expect a visit from the princess. She figured someone would point out the security risks, and it would never happen. So when they stepped into the bookshop, holding an armful of books and dressed as a boy, Arris dropped her tea.

“Oh! Oh I’m sorry did I startle you?” they quickly set the books down. “Was I supposed to write ahead?”

“No, no of course not.” Arris waved her hand and grabbed a rag, quickly moving books away from the spill. “I just wasn’t expecting you so soon. I figured you’d have all that security stuff to deal with.”

Reignn shook their head. “No ah...my dad told everyone that this bookstore was safer than the castle.”

Dae came down the stairs. “It is. I don’t tolerate book thieves and most people don’t realize how sharp a knife you need to rebind books.” he frowned. “Arris, did you spill your tea?”

“I dropped it.” she finished cleaning up the mess and stood.

He hummed and walked over, looking at the book's Reignn had brought. “I don’t have these ones.”

“My dad recommended them. This one is new, our scribe-” Reignn stepped back in surprise when Dae grabbed all of the books.

“The Kingdoms scribe is a moron with the  _ worst _ drawing skills I have seen. A baby could draw better than him. I’ll finish these before we leave.” he went to his desk and set all of them down, grabbing paper. 

Arris put a hand on her hip. “You can’t just steal the King’s books.”

“If he knows me at all, then he expects this.” he opened the first book and started to sketch something on a blank page. “I can handle the store. Go play.”

Arris rolled her eyes and looked at Reignn. “Come on, he’ll throw us out if we don’t leave him alone.” she smiled and led them up the stairs.

Reignn looked around at all of the books and loose papers. “Do you know how to bind books?”

“Yup. A few of the books we’ve sold have been done by me. I think I’m the only scribe that my dad doesn’t hate.” she laughed. “So, quick question. Are you a Prince or a Princess? Because I don’t want to call you something you’re not.”

Reignn turned slightly red and ducked their head. “Well...I mean I’m a princess. But...I don’t like…” they waved their hand. “The council says I dress like a boy too much. I’m a lady and I should act like it.”

“Screw them, wear what you want. You’re going to be...Queen-slash-King one day. Can’t you do what you want?” She led them to her room.

“No, not even my dad can do whatever he wants. The council controls…” they frowned. “They basically do everything that is deemed not important enough to bother the King. Like regular day to day stuff. Taxes, most laws and punishments. Those things.” 

“Telling the heir what to wear?” Arris raised an eyebrow. “If you want to wear boy clothes, I don’t see why that’s a problem. Be a boy if you want.”

“I...I don’t know what I want yet.” they ducked their head, mumbling.

“That’s fine too. I’m just going to call you the heir until you’re okay with your choice, alright?” she smiled.

Reignn hesitated before they nodded. “I...I like that.”

Arris and Reignn spent the next few hours together, talking about books and how different their lives were. She showed Reignn some of her pants that were fitting for a young woman, that way no one could complain they weren't dressed as a lady.

Reignn told her about life in the castle, and how their mother would have them sing. The council was constantly asking for songs, and they were normally asked to sing at parties. Their dad was the only one who never asked them to sing.

Arris talked about the girls at school, and how she was constantly being asked to sing by teachers and strangers. She told Reignn about the time her dad almost got into a fight with some random lady who had grabbed her, demanding a song.

Reignn was lying back on her bed. “You’re an Orissim, right?”

“First generation. And I know from the history books that you’re like, hundredth generation Orissim.” she smiled from where she sat nearby.

Reignn hummed. “Was your mom Blessed?”

“Oh...Oh I wouldn’t know. I’m adopted.” she shrugged. “My dad apparently found me floating in a chest in the middle of the ocean.”

“Floating in a chest?” They looked confused.

“Well, my dad figures that I was born on a ship, and when the hurricane hit…” she shrugged. “He fell off his boat when a weird wave hit and my dad can’t swim. I saved him, and he adopted me.” she smiled.

“Wow…” Reignn looked at her. “Did he ever find out where you came from?”

“Nope. He told me he looked, asked around the nearest cities. But no one was missing a child. And no one was missing a ship either.” she was sketching something. “I didn’t even know until I was fifteen.”

Reignn pushed themself up. “That’s...was that hard for you? Finding out you were adopted?”

“Eh, it was bad for about a day, but then I realized it didn’t matter. I love my dad, and he does his best. I don’t need a mom and if they died on a ship, then why should I panic about that? I never knew them.” She finished her sketch and held it out.

Reignn laughed when they saw what she had drawn. It was Reignn, laying in a pile of jewels, dressed as a pirate. “My mother would have a  _ fit _ if I really looked like that.”

Arris chuckled. “I don’t know, the look fits.”

Reignn snorted. “I’m royal, jewels will  _ always _ fit.”

Arris laughed and shook her head. “Hey...what’s your mom like?” She hadn’t met the Queen while they were visiting, and her dad hadn’t said a word about her. Though she figured she knew the reason.

“Oh, well she’s Resimak. She’s...kind of set in her ways? I mean nothing bad but...she’s constantly reminding my dad about traditions and rules and she sides with the council. I can tell it annoys my dad when she goes behind his back and gets the council to do things he said no to.” they hesitated. “I...you can keep a secret?”

Arris quickly nodded. “Of course.”

Reignn sat up completely, biting their lip and messing with their hands. “I think she’s sleeping with the Head of the Council.”

Her eyes went wide. “Holy shit.”

“I know! I can’t tell my dad. I don’t know how he’ll react or even what the rules are about this.” they shook their head. “I’ve seen her sneaking off with him, and whenever we’re all at a meeting he’s constantly watching her with this creepy look.”

Arris wrinkled her nose. “I’d gag if I saw anyone looking at my dad.”

“I know! Every time I notice it I feel sick and…” Reignn hesitated again. “I told my mom he was looking at her, and she just laughed. She said I’d start to appreciate those looks from men when I got to her age.”

“Ewww!” Arris shook out her hands. “That’s disgusting.”

“Imagine how I felt.” Reignn sighed. “You’re the first person I’ve been able to talk to about this. Thank you.”

“I’m here for you. Even if thinking about old people looks gives me hives.” Arris shivered and made an ick sound. “Trauma should be shared between friends.”

Reignn smiled. “Thank you Arris. We’ll have to write when you leave.”

“You can fill me in on  _ all _ the court gossip.” Arris gigged.


	9. Travel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All these chapters seem so short when I post them, but they are all 3-4 pages. I guess I've gotten used to making shorter chapters because Facebook messenger has a limit on the characters you can send, and its about 3-4 pages, lol. Even if it's short, I hope it brightens your day <3

Dae hummed as he looked out the window of the carriage. They had already been on the road for three days, and both of them were starting to get bored. He sighed and closed the curtain. “I forgot how far we were from the coast.”

“We might be far, but this is kind of exciting. I’ve never left the city before.” she was enjoying seeing the different cities they passed through.

“Stopping is fun, this part? Not so much.” he grunted and started to dig through his bag. “I didn’t bring enough books.”

Arris chuckled. “From the way you packed I thought you brought the whole store.” she’d brought her own books, but had barely even read through the first one.

He huffed and opened the curtain again. “I still don’t understand why he sent us with guards. He’s never done that before.”

“He did say that the roads were becoming dangerous. Maybe we’ll see outlaws, or pirates.” she sounded excited.

“Food is mostly free, what would they steal?” only treats and sweets cost anything, and it wasn’t that much.

“Jewels? Books? Weapons? I don’t know. Maybe they just like shiny things. I like shiny things.” she’d rather have a book, but shiny things were nice.

“Most bandits steal money. Money isn’t a problem, everyone gets a fair amount, and no one starves. I don’t see any reason for them to steal.” he shook his head. 

Arris hummed. “Maybe some people just want to cause chaos.”

He glanced at her. “ _ That _ I can see.” he pushed the curtain far enough back that light shone into the whole carriage. “Once we get there, we’ll have to have a look around, see where we should start.”

“I was hoping to start with the Temple, but if it’s buried then we can start by the ocean. I’ve always wanted to see  _ real _ sections of the wall.” the wall had been torn down long before she was born, and most of it was destroyed.

“If this place really is where the capital was, then it’s where the war started. There will probably be so much people had to leave, so much still preserved.” he shook his head. “I can’t believe it took us so long to find.”

“I hope they still have books that we can try to read. Or maybe we’ll find some artwork. I’m really hoping for shipping logs. Where did they get food with such limited access to the ocean? What about their money system? How much have we changed?” She always loved seeing the way things changed.

Dae chuckled. “Even if we don’t find much writing, even the architecture will help us. Knowing the past is important Arris. Always remember that.”

~~~

It took them two weeks to reach the coast. They were taken to a large tent, in a work site, where guards and men were waiting for them. The Head of Security was a large man, who looked more annoyed than anything else.

“This area is dangerous.” he started talking the moment they entered the tent. “The whole city is mostly underground, as a result of an earthquake hundreds of years ago. The wall here is still mostly in place, so when the tide hits most of the area near it floods. We know the time the tide comes in, because the water rises  _ fast _ . We lost two patrols and a work site before we figured it out.”

“And the Temple?” Dae hummed.

The man glared at him, brown eyes narrowed. “Mostly underground. It looks like a sinkhole opened under the whole thing and swallowed it. We only have access to the front gates and have no idea about the state of the inside. For all we know, it could be completely buried.”

“No one has gone down to look?” he frowned, looking at the map on the table.

“King Killan told us we needed to wait for you.” he didn’t sound very happy about that. He turned and paused. “Who are you?” he was staring at Arris.

“I’m Arris Hayns.” she smiled.

“You brought your daughter? Do you know how dangerous sites like these are?” the man glared at her father.

“I grew up on sites like this. My father was an archaeologist and my mother was a scholar. My daughter is seventeen and can take care of herself.” he glanced around. “Besides, with all these guards, she better be safe.”

The man grunted. “Keep her away from the site.”

“As my daughter is my assistant that is impossible.” Dae looked the man in the eye. “Killan told me that I would be in charge of this. If you wish to contest that, then you can make the two week trip back to the castle and complain. While I stay here and do my job. Do we have an understanding?”

The man and Dae stared at each other, both unblinking. A soldier cleared their throat. “Sir? We finished setting up their tents.”

The man grunted and turned. “Good, show them to the dig site.” he went back to looking at the map.

Arris peeked around him and saw the map looked old. “Is that an original map of the area?” 

He quickly covered it with a newer map. “It’s nothing you want to worry your pretty little head about.”

Dae put a hand on her arm. “Come on, I’ll write to Killan.” he led her out of the tent, grumbling under his breath about meat headed guards.

The guard with them cleared his throat. “The dig-”

“What time does the tide come in?” Dae interrupted him.

“Oh, in about an hour.” he glanced at the sky. “It starts to come right around the time the sun starts setting.”

“Good, show us that.” Dae nodded.

“I...sir? I was tasked with showing you to the dig site. We haven’t figured out how to start working-” he flinched when Dae interrupted him again.

“I don’t want to go down there to work, I want to go down and see how it floods.” he nodded. “Now, show us.”

The guard hesitated before he nodded and started in a different direction. Arris looked around at everything around them. There were more tents with guards and men she didn’t like the look of. They had shovels, and were covered in dirt, so she figured they were the dig crew. 

All around them were destroyed and weathered buildings. She could only see what looked to be their roofs, or destroyed walls. Everything was covered in dirt, and she could taste salt in the air. 

“It smells like fish.” She looked at her dad.

“That’s the ocean.” he smiled. “We’ll have to find a spot for you to swim. You’re Orissim, you should swim in the ocean.”

The guard cleared his throat. “The ocean is dangerous.”

“Walking down the street is dangerous.” Dae dismissed him. “I still can’t swim, and I refuse to learn. So you’ll have to swim by yourself. But I will sit and watch you.”

“What if I drown?” she pouted.

“You have gills.” he reached out and rubbed her head, making her laugh.

The guard led them onto what might have once been the roof of a large building. It overlooked a large area, that didn’t look as buried as the rest of the area. The ground slowly sloped down towards ruined buildings, and muddy streets. 

Arris gasped when she saw the wall. They were still far enough from it that she couldn’t see the ocean, except through the few holes and cracks. The wall was huge, towering over everything. It made her feel small.

“I...I never realized how tall the wall was.” she whispered. “It’s so...isolating.”

Dae glanced up and down the coast, the wall continued out of sight on both sides. “Tomorrow morning we’ll get closer. This is the Cliffs.”

The Cliffs. Where all the slaves lived, where Downlanders lived and died and struggled. She watched the tide crash against the holes in the wall. “Tomorrow morning we’ll check it out. Then...then I want to go over the wall.”

He smiled. “I’ll bring rope.”


	10. The Wall

Arris was quiet as they walked, mostly everything was covered in mud and sand, with very few buildings surviving. She couldn’t even see the foundation of where they might have been. 

“Do you think the ocean did all of the damage?” she whispered suddenly.

Dae glanced at her, he’d been watching the two guards they’d been sent with. “No, when the war started this was probably one of the hardest areas hit.”

Arris moved closer to him the closer they got to the wall. The cracks and holes in it looked larger now, and the whole structure looked close to falling. Most of the bottom was gone, and it seemed to be only standing because of pure spite.

They stopped, and Arris looked up. The wall was larger than anything she’d seen, and it made her feel small and cold. The whole thing blotted out the sun, and she rubbed her arms. “Can you imagine...looking up and seeing this  _ every day _ ? Just  _ knowing _ the ocean is on the other side...and you’ll never get to see it.”

Dae hummed, looking at one of the holes. “We could fit through that one.” most of the cracks that went down the wall didn’t reach to the bottom, but where the dirt started to turn to sand had been eroded away, leaving enough space for the ocean, or a very determined person, to slide under.

Arris looked at the hole he pointed to. They would have to duck, and the edges looked sharp, but she nodded. “It’ll be safer than going over.”

One of the guards squawked. “You can’t be serious! That whole thing could tumble down on us if we  _ breathe _ on it wrong.”

Arris looked at him. “Then don’t breathe.” she tightened her grip on her bag and headed for the hole.

Dae hovered around the outside, looking it up and down. He glanced through it. “Damn...that is  _ thick _ .”

Arris looked through the hole, she could barely see the other side, just light filtering in. “Do you think the hole goes all the way through?”

“It should.” Dae touched the hole, making the guards flinch away. “This is rounded from the ocean, but only up to our hips. We’ll have to crawl through. The hole might get smaller.”

She nodded. “I’ll go first then.” she took a deep breath and dropped to her knees, crawling into the hole.

The air instantly felt cooler, and the walls seemed to close in on her. She felt trapped, and could hear every creak and groan of the wall around her. She carefully crawled forward, feeling the hard dirt under her turn to mud, and sand.

She wondered if any Downlanders had crawled through this hole, desperate to see the ocean. How many had tried to climb it, only to be knocked down? Had any survived the fall? Probably not, it was dizzy to even look up at it.

The light blinded her when she reached it, crawling out into the daylight. She blinked and sat next to the hole, staring with wide eyes. 

The beach had pure white sands, and seemed to stretch for miles. The ocean was lapping at the shore, waves gentle and calm. The sky appeared to blend seamlessly into the ocean, and she couldn’t tell how far it reached.

Her dad sat next to her. “I always loved the ocean. Even if I couldn’t swim. My parents lived inland, and we never had many chances to go anywhere with water. But the Yusev  _ fascinated _ me. They’re Kingdoms are completely underwater, and they live with creatures larger than you and I will ever see.” he smiled. “I was fifteen the first time I saw the ocean, and I just...sat. I was supposed to be looking at some ruins but I just…”

“It makes you feel small.” she whispered. “But...not in a bad way.”

“Exactly.” he smiled. “I took every chance I could get to sail, and when I met Killan...I made sure to  _ always _ travel with him to the ocean. I’d make up some stupid book or ruins I wanted to look at, and then spend the whole time at the beach.”

Arris stood. “Come on, you might not be able to swim, but you can at least get your feet wet.” she grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet.

He chuckled. “I’ll stand up to my knees, but I want to see you swim.” 

Arris ran out into the water, laughing when it splashed at her. Her dad cursed at the cold and Arris splashed him. She ran deeper out, feeling the pull of the water before she dove under the waves.

She felt the slight sting of the salt in her eyes, and her neck itched when her lungs started to burn. She took a breath, choking on the water, before she felt a strange current over her throat, and she could breath. 

Arris very rarely used her gills. She didn’t go swimming often, and didn’t have a reason to swim under the water when she did. It was slightly uncomfortable to use them, and her throat felt scratchy.

The ocean seemed to stretch forever around her. She let herself sink down into the sand and took a deep breath, feeling the water over her gills. 

She tilted her head suddenly when she heard a soft melody. It was almost like someone was singing under the water. She pushed herself forward, feeling pulled by the song. The sand started to disappear under her, and soon, she felt the temperature drop, and she was over the open ocean.

Panic filled her, and she shoved herself back, the song was louder. She screamed when something grabbed her leg, dragging her down. There was a flash of gold before a hand covered her mouth and she was pulled back.

Everything was still for a single heartbeat and the song slowly faded. The person let her go, and pushed themself away from her. His gold eyes sparked when he winked, before diving down, deeper into the water. 

Arris tried to follow, but she lost sight of him quickly, and was afraid of losing the shoreline. She swam back to the shore, gasping when she popped out of the water. The sun was bright above her, and it unnerved her to realize it was close to noon. She hadn’t felt like she was down there for that long.

Dae was laying on the beach waiting for her. “I got lost in a forest once.” he hummed, when she reached him. “Survived for a week before Killan managed to find me.”

She dropped down next to him. “I saw someone down there. I could hear singing, and they grabbed me, to stop me from following it.” she frowned. “They were Blessed.”

Dae hummed, glancing at her. “The ocean is dangerous. The Yusev know that.” he looked up at the sky. “Trust that whatever they did, they did to keep you safe.”

“Aren’t you worried or weirded out?” She was a little frightened.

He took a deep breath. “Arris…” he sat up. “I haven’t told you much about my life.” he nodded and pushed himself up. “You ready to go check out the dig site?”

Arris blinked. “Ah...sure? I guess?” she stood and followed him back to the hole. “What about the guy who helped me?”

“They’re probably a Yusev, they’ll be fine.” he smiled. “Come on.” he dropped down and crawled through the hole.

The guards were waiting for them, and seemed startled to see them come back. They walked back to their tents, where they both changed into dry clothes and tried to get all of the sand off of them.

The man in charge of the guards met them at the dig site. “I was told you went beyond the wall.”

“You make it sound so scandalous.” Dae grinned. “How are we doing with the Temple? Where is it?”

He pointed to part of the dig site where they could see the top of what could have been a fence. “That’s how we’re getting in.” he nodded to what looked like a small hill. “That is the top of the Temple.”

“The whole thing is underground.” Arris whispered. “I mean you said that, but wow…”

Dae crossed his arms, before he nodded. “How are the dig crews handling it?”

“As well as they can.” the man grunted.

Dae nodded and headed for the entrance. There were people fixing the structure, keeping the whole from falling in on itself. He hummed and watched as one of them lit a lantern. “How deep does it go?”

One of the workers answered. “Pretty deep, we haven’t reached the actual Temple yet.”

Dae nodded. “Arris and I will explore what’s left of the city until you do. Come and tell me the  _ moment _ you find something. Come on Arris, let’s explore.”


	11. The Temple

It took a month before the dig crew reached the Temple. It was just after dawn, and everyone was gathered in front of the hole. The man in charge, who Arris had learned was named Sadin, stood with his arms crossed. “They reached the door, but we have no way of knowing what the inside is like.”

Dae shook his head. “My daughter and I go in first. If the door does not open I shall allow your men to attempt it.”

Sadin shook his head. “It isn’t safe.”

“Life isn’t safe.” Dae looked at him. “I know you, and I know how you normally do business. So we do things  _ my _ way, or you can leave. Understood?”

Sadin’s face was nearly purple with rage. He turned. “Fine, get crushed by rocks for all I care.” he marched off.

Arris stepped towards the hole. “Dad are you sure about this?”

“Trust me, if we let Sadin and his men go inside, half the Temple will end up in their pockets.” he grabbed a lantern and turned to her with a smile. “Are you ready?”

She hesitated before she nodded. She started walking down into the hole, shivering at the temperature change. There were lanterns every few feet, and it was well lit, but it still felt dark. 

The doors were old, mostly set into the dirt. Dae stepped close to them. “It’s all art, no words.” he mumbled to himself. “I think...it might be a tree? We’ll have to clean the dirt off to see more clearly.”

Arris put a hand to the door. “Do you think it will open?”

“One way to find out.” her dad smiled and pressed against the door.

It opened with barely any effort. The doors swung inside, and their lantern caught on jewels set in the floor. Slowly they walked inside. The room wasn’t very large, and there were larger doors on the other side. One of the walls was broken, revealing another room, the walls were mostly faded, but everything seemed...intact.

“This...this is the best Temple that’s  _ ever _ been found. If the rest of the Temple is like this…” Arris headed towards the other door. 

Dae ducked down, touching the floor. “They had gems in the  _ floor _ . How rich were they?”

“Maybe gems don’t have the same value they do now.” she put her hands on the door and pushed.

Dae held up the lantern when Arris didn’t say anything else. “Arris? Arris sweetheart answer me.” he rushed forward into the other room.

The main room of the Temple was large, filled with rotten pews and broken glass. A large, dead tree stood in the very back, large and twisting. Arris was standing in front of it, staring up at it.

Dae walked over. “Arris, my little fish.” She was standing in ankle deep, black water. The lantern was casting strange shadows. “Your shoes…”

She turned and looked at him, her eyes bright gold. Something swelled in the air and she opened her mouth to speak when a crash caused them both to jump.

Dae turned quickly, pulling a knife from his belt. Arris swayed as the glow faded from her eyes. She stumbled, reaching out and grabbing him. “Dad? What happened? I...last thing I remember was opening the door.”

“Temples cursed.” Dae mumbled. “Probably  _ should _ have sent Sadin down here. Curses aren’t good things, little fish.”

“Curses aren’t real.” she frowned.

Dae hesitated. “Let’s just get out of here. We’ve seen enough for today.”

“But dad there were stairs. The Temple is supposed to have different floors. I don’t understand what’s going on.” she stepped out of the water, shaking out each foot and frowning when they squelshed against the floor.

Dae grabbed her hand. “Come.” he pulled her forward. 

They went back into the first room, and Dae started to let out a string of curses. “The Temple might not be cursed but Sadin is going to wish it was!” The exit was blocked by metal bars. 

“Dad...did...did they lock us in here?” Arris shivered.

Sadin stepped into the light, he was still in the tunnel. “I did tell you not to bring your daughter Daeadon. Or, should I call you-”

“Mr. Hayns will do.” he tightened his grip on his knife, handing the lantern to Arris. “Killan is expecting me to write to him.”

“Killan won’t be a problem for much longer.” he smiled. “You think I care about this old Temple? I have a bigger prize. You can keep the Temple.”

Dae hesitated. “Sadin...Sadin my daughter is seventeen. Let her out. She’s a good girl, not involved in anything bad.”

“I gave you a chance to protect her.” he shrugged. “We’re going to blow the tunnel now. I wonder which of you will go first?” he laughed and turned, heading back up the tunnel.

Arris felt like she couldn’t breath. Dae ran and grabbed the bars. “Sadin! Sadin I’m going to find you! A curse on your  _ entire family _ ! You hateful  _ pig _ !” he kicked at the bars and shouted. “I should have  _ let you drown _ !”

Arris let out a whimper. “Dad…?”

Dae turned quickly. “Arris...oh sweet Arris we aren’t going to die down here. Come.” he grabbed her, pulling her towards the broken wall. “We can do this Arris. Don’t worry, remember to breathe. Don’t panic.”

She took slow breaths, shaking. She let out a scream when everything around them shook, and a loud, cracking boom sounded from the tunnel. What little light those lanterns gave was gone in a wave of dust and dirt.

Dae pressed his lips together, they could only see what the lantern lit around them. “Do you remember when you got trapped in the attic?” she hesitated but nodded. “This is just like that. Just find another door.” he smiled. “I won’t let you die down here Arris.”

She took a deep breath. “Why...why is he doing this?”

Dae hesitated. “Sadin…” he shook his head. “Do you remember when you said you wanted to see a pirate, on the way here? Sadin was a pirate. He kidnapped Killan once. I’ll tell you the story some time. He…”

“He said King Killan wouldn’t be a problem.” she whispered.

Dae suddenly paled. “Oh...oh my…” he stepped away from her. “They got me away from him. Even if we weren’t talking I always stayed close. Close enough I could help.” he shook his head. “I think they’re going to kill him.”

Arris bit her lip. “And Reignn?”

“I won’t let it happen Arris.” he grabbed her hand. “Come, we need to find a way out.” he pulled her towards the stairs. “We can check out the rest of the Temple, won’t that be fun?”

Arris tightened her grip on his hand, but didn’t answer.


	12. Trapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit late. I got a new job! <3

The second floor was mostly destroyed and empty rooms. Dae managed to find another lantern and took that one to search each of the rooms. He would constantly come back out to check on Arris.

She was pale, and her breath was coming out shakey, but she hadn’t broken down yet. She followed him to the third floor silently, grabbing hold of him whenever he was close. 

The third floor was more rooms, Arris slowly walked over to one. “Dad…” she lifted the lantern. “Dad, this is King Asch’s room. I thought the Castle was more inland and farther north?”

Dae walked over to her. “That...that is his name.” he frowned. “Maybe he stayed here to be close to the Reborn?”

Arris pushed on the door, flinching when it fell over. She lifted the lantern, stepping into the room. 

It was a small office, with a window that showed nothing but dirt. There were papers all over the floor, and the desk drawers were all thrown open. She walked over to a cabinet, setting the lantern on the desk. 

Inside the cabinet was more papers. She frowned as she looked at them. “This...it’s his signature, but this doesn’t make sense.”

Dae was looking at the papers on the desk and in the drawers. “Unless...he was never a King.” he looked at Arris. “What if history painted him as a King because of what he did? Changing who you are isn’t very hard.”

She looked at him. “Do you know that from experience?”

He froze, before looking at her. “Arris-”

“No, no you know what? I was going to give you time. But now I’m upset. Dad I am  _ scared _ and I’m confused. Please just tell me what is  _ happening _ .” she looked at him, eyes wide.

Dae stared at her. “No.” her face fell. “I’m not...Arris I know I teach that the past matters but this...I don’t want you involved. So we’re going to get out, we’ll go back to the capital, and then you and Reignn will sit in my bookshop until this is over, do you understand?”

“Dad…” Arris stepped away from him. She never thought her dad  _ had _ secrets. He was constantly writing everything down and talking about how important it was for everyone to know the past. She took another step away from him. “Please dad, just tell me why Sadin wants you dead.”

He frowned, taking some of the papers and putting them in his bag. He was grabbing as many as he could. “I don’t know his plan, however I do know that he and I have a troubled past. I doubt Lan knows he was here.” Arris started to hand him papers and badly bound books from the cabinet. “Sadin...there are monsters in the sea. He was taken by one. I saved him.”

“And...he hates you for that?” she frowned.

“Yes. He went to prison after I saved him. He was supposed to hang, for kidnapping Lan, but he made a deal and had to swear himself to the Kingdom.” he shook his head. “Lan should have killed him.”

“He was going to call you by another name. Is...is your name really Daeadon Hayns?” was her name Hayns?

“That is the name my parents gave me, yes.” he handed her the bag, taking hers. “You can carry anything we find, I’ll carry the water. It weighs more.”

“I did the math. We can make the water last two days if we’re careful.” she’d also packed snacks, but those would only last the day.

“We won’t be here that long. The Temple was bigger than this...where are the next stairs?” he went back out into the hall.

Arris followed. She started looking around, peeking through doors. She leaned against the wall after a few hours of her dad going through every room, even going back down to the other floors. 

She leaned her head back, hitting the wall with a thunk. She paused, knocking on the wall. “Oh.” she turned and shoved at the wall. There was a soft click, and the wall opened outward.

“Dad!” she shouted. 

Dae rushed from down the hall. “Arris-” he stopped. “Oh...I feel stupid.” he grabbed her hand and they went up the stairs.

There was a single room at the top of the stairs, large and impressive. The walls and ceiling were covered in faded art, and there were books everywhere. Beautiful furniture and gems filled the room.

Arris started to pack the books, making Dae smile. He dropped some of the gems into her bag as well. “We can get Killan to tell us how much they’re worth.” he smiled.

“If we see him again.” she whispered.

“We  _ will _ see him again.” he nodded and started to go through the room, knocking on all of the walls.

Arris looked around the room. “This must be the Reborn’s room.” she whispered. Did he die in this room? Was she going to die in the same place a supposed God died?

She noticed planks of wood blocking something on one of the walls. “Dad, will you  _ ever _ tell me about your past?”

Dae hesitated, he was in the closet. “I...some day.”

Arris nodded and walked over to the planks. She grabbed the top one and pulled. Dirt started to spill into the room, and sunlight followed. 

Dae shouted. “My brilliant little fish! We could see the top of the Temple!” he ran over and started grabbing boards. 

Arris wasn’t sure how long they’d actually spent down there, but she didn’t care. She was just glad to see sunlight.

They tore off all the boards, scrambling with the dirt and digging their way towards the light. Arris was shoved through by her dad, and she coughed and gasped for air, the light blinding her.

Dae climbed out after her, taking deep breaths. “Well, now when we explore for real we won’t need the tunnel.”

Arris laughter turned into a scream when she was grabbed. She noticed all the tents were gone, as were most of the men. But Sadin was still there, and his eyes were alight with rage.

Dae cursed and struggled. “I’m going to  _ slit your throat _ !”

Sadin chuckled from where he stood a few feet away, the men holding them were large. “Oh silence. You’re not on your  _ ship _ anymore. But I’m sure people will love to hear the Kraken has been caught.”

Dae paled, he went still. “I am going to  _ tear you apart _ .”

“Save it. I’ll enjoy hearing the way the King screams when we slit your throat in front of him. It’ll be much more satisfying. Isn’t that what you said when you took ships? Better to hear their family scream when the dead ship floats its way home.” he chuckled.

Dae stared at him, before he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry Arris.” he threw his head back, making the man drop him with a shout. He stabbed the man holding Arris and threw her forward. “Run!”

Arris didn’t hesitate.


	13. Coup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have lost all concept of time with this new job. I never know what day it is anymore. I will try my best to update on weekends, but if I don't its most likely because I didn't realize it WAS the weekend. 
> 
> I hope everyone is having a lovely time, and if you have any questions feel free to ask me <3 or if you just want to bug me [Here](https://feclen.tumblr.com/) is my Tumblr

Reignn sighed, running a brush through their long, golden hair. Their mother was behind them, humming as she looked at a few dresses laid on the bed. Their mother’s long brown hair was braided around her head, green eyes moved from dress to dress.

“Is there something wrong my daughter?” she turned. “You have been so sad since your little friend left.”

Reignn sighed again. “I was expecting a letter by now.” Arris left three weeks ago, she should have reached the coast within two weeks.

“I’m sure she is just busy. Now, we need to find you a nice dress.” she went back to the dresses on the bed.

Reignn looked at their mother. “Mom...Arris gave me some ladies pants. I thought maybe I could go riding in those.” they hate the way they looked in dresses. They hated seeing themselves, the dresses showing off their disgusting hips and curves.

“You’re not going riding today. We have a meeting with the council today. You have to wear a dress.” she picked up an ice blue dress, with silver patterns. “What do you think of this one?”

It made Reignn sick to think of themself wearing it. “It’s perfect mom. I didn’t know we had a meeting today.”

“It was announced this morning. Your father has been in a huff all morning because of it. Apparently he was going to go riding with you.” she smiled. “That does sound nice, all of us riding out to the meadows outside the city limits. We could have a picnic.”

That did sound nice. That sounded really nice. “Maybe we could go after? If we’re lucky and the meeting doesn’t take too long.”

Their mother smiled. “If the meeting doesn’t take too long.” she held out the dress. “Go put this on and I’ll do your hair.”

A servant followed them into the other room, helping them into the dress. They kept their eyes closed the whole time, grinding their teeth together as they forced the dress on. The young servant gently touched their arm. “I hid your pants, another servant came looking for them and I shoved them in a drawer with your nightgowns.”

Reignn smiled. “Thank you.” most of their servants reported to their mother. It was nice to have someone on their side.

They came back into the room and the Queen pushed them into their chair. She hummed as she started to fix her hair. “You have such lovely golden hair. You are lucky, being Blessed as you are.”

Don’t ask me to sing, please mother anything but that, please. Reignn kept their eyes closed. 

“Maybe you could sing for your father and I, while we are on our picnic.” she sounded so calm, as she ruined the plans Reignn had looked forward to.

A knock at the door saved them from answering. “My Queen? The council is starting soon.”

“Ah, yes. I lost track of time. Come daughter.” she helped Reignn to their feet and led them from the room.

The castle was quiet this early in the morning. Reignn knew most of the guards would be changing from the night to day shift around this time, it was their favorite time to sneak out. Maybe, if the council was meeting this early, they could sneak away while their mother was distracted.

King Killan brightened when he saw them enter the council room, he was the only one present. “My Queen and my heir, so lovely you both look to my eyes.” he stood and walked over to his wife, taking her hand and kissing it.

The Queen giggled. “Oh my husband, you spoil me.” she kissed his cheek. “Have you scared off the council so soon?”

“I came early.” he pulled out her chair and looked at Reignn. “Ah, and look at you. I thought you were going riding today, you can’t ride in a dress.”

They smiled. “I heard about the meeting and mother insisted on a dress.”

“Ack.” he waved his hand. “You don’t need to be here. Why don’t you go change and steal a horse?”

“Killan.” the Queen frowned. “She needs to learn how to handle these meetings. She is your heir, and shall have to help her husband with these things.”

Killan frowned. “I would think her husband would be helping her. My mother was Queen by herself for most of her reign. There is no difference between a queen and a king.” he pulled out Reignn’s chair and shook his head. “Our child can have two queens, or two kings if it is their wish. As long as they continue the bloodline, it does not matter.”

“Nali does not agree with you.” the Queen frowned.

Reignn saw their father’s eyes darken, and realized for the first time that he might  _ know _ about the affair. “Nali is a prideful fool who thinks more about how to fill his own purse than how people see him.”

“He is in charge of your council.” she narrowed her eyes.

“Not by my choice. I believe  _ you _ are the one who chose him.” he shook his head. “Gram was a good man...he understood what I was trying to do with this Kingdom. He respected the peace between us and the Kingdom of Aquam.”

“He was a pagan loving fool. Where were his  _ Gods _ when he was trapped under the ground, slowly suffocating?” she rolled her eyes.

Killan put his hand on the table and leaned close to her. “I put up with  _ much _ my wife. I sit here, with  _ you _ because Gram begged it of me.  _ Remember that _ before you insult him.”

Reignn cleared their throat. “Dad?”

Killan instantly pushed away from the table. “I’m sorry, I forget myself.” he smiled. “Where are those blasted old men?”

The door opened, and guards entered the room. Killan tensed, eyes narrowing when a man came in behind them. The man smiled, his red hair was short, and brown eyes darted quickly around the room. “My King.”

“You are late Nali, and you do not bring the rest of the council with you.” he put a hand on his hip, close to his sword.

“Ah, no need for your sword. And the rest of the council has been relieved of duty.” he glanced at the Queen.

She stood. “Sit my husband, and no harm shall fall you.”

“Of  _ course _ you’re with him.” he rolled his eyes. “Are you only doing this now because I am without my friends? Because I assure you, when he hears of this-”

“The Kraken is dead.” Nali grinned, interrupting him.

Reignn felt ill as they watched their father fall into his chair, he went as pale chalk and swayed in his seat. He started shaking, and grabbed the table. “You lie.” his voice broke.

“Do you really think we’d never figure out who he was? Especially with how close he was to you. And once we knew, well he was a threat we had to deal with.” Nali hummed. “I received word he brought his daughter. I do hope she didn’t go onto the dig site with him. So many  _ accidents _ .”

Reignn cried out when Killan launched himself over the table. One of the guards grabbed him before he could reach Nali. It took three guards to hold him, and he was still kicking and screaming. They noticed their father was crying. “He isn’t  _ dead _ ! I’ll cut off that  _ fucking smirk and  _ **_feed it to you_ ** !” he screamed.

Nali shook his head. “Such language. Guards take the King to his cell.” he walked over to the table and sat down.

Reignn whimpered as the King was dragged away. The Queen sat back down. “The people will revolt if we kill him.”

“Yes, which is why he is being kept alive. At least until your daughter marries.” Nali looked at Reignn. “She is a lovely jewel.” his eyes narrowed. “Are you going to listen to us?”

“I…” Reignn looked at their mother. “I don’t understand. What is going on?”

The Queen hummed. “Your father was holding the Kingdom back. We are going to set it on the right track. I cannot remarry, as we cannot kill Killan. So, you shall marry.”

“I...I’m seventeen. Law says I cannot marry until I am eighteen at least.” they didn’t want to get married.

Nali nodded. “We know, you turn eighteen in a years time. You shall marry me then.” he smiled. “It gives us time to get to know each other.”

“Mother?” Reignn let out a distressed sound.

The Queen shook her head. “It is for the good of the Kingdom. We shall prepare for war, and take over the oceans. Then we shall move beyond the mountains, to the Kingdom we discovered there.”

“But...we’re protected by the mountains. And the Yusev are our friends. I don’t understand what’s going on.” Reignn shook their head.

Nali sighed. “You do not  _ have _ to understand. You only  _ have _ to listen. You are a woman, like your mother you will  _ listen _ . Understand?”

Reignn was shaking. “I feel faint.”

The Queen let out a soft sound. “I shall take you back to your room. It has been a stressful morning.” she took Reignn’s arm and led them from the room.

Reignn looked at their mother. “Mother they wouldn’t really hurt Arris, would they?”

“Arris is the daughter of the pirate. A  _ deadly _ pirate. If I had known before, I never would have allowed you to visit them.” she shook her head. “You barely knew her, you can make new friends.”

Reignn sat down on their bed as their mother closed the door to their room. Alone, they fell back and started to cry.


End file.
